The Prince
by SheIsKaraM
Summary: "I didn't know about this. I'll just have to make the most of it." Set near the end of Empire, changed one thing and seeing where it goes.
1. What Am I Supposed To Do?

**9/4/17 Edit: I have proofread this again, fixed some errors and added some stuff that I think will flow better. All published chapters have been edited. The next chapter is a little harder to write because I can't picture how the chapter will work. Normally, I imagine the chapters as TV episodes or movies in my head as I write. Sadly, nothing has come to me for chapter 5.**

 **I know I should be working on Direct. I have hit a writer's block. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.**

 **This story is a product of my wonderful ability to take a "What if..." and create a whole new series of events. Enjoy!**

 **I own nothing except my OCs.**

What Am I Supposed To Do?

 _Month 0_

 **Luke Pov**

I hear the sound of the machine whirring to life around me, but it's too late. My mind goes blank as the carbonite freezes around me.

* * *

 _Month 0.5_

The first thing I notice as my mind pulled me back to consciousness is the cold. I'm lying on something cold and the restraints on my wrists and ankles make me even colder.

Wait, restraints? Why am I in restraints?

I force my mind back to the last thing I remember before everything went dark. Cloud City. Han. Leia. Chewie. A fight with Vader. I don't see Han. Leia and Chewie are with stormtroopers. Stormtroopers! Leia and Chewie are captured too! Wake up! Wake up, Luke! You have to help them!

I slowly open my eyes. They're heavy and I wonder how long I'd been asleep. The sight that greets me is not a pleasant one. I'm on a table on of some sort surrounded by red and black. There's a door in the far wall. What's directly above me is what really makes my stomach drop. It's a machine. What it does, I haven't the faintest clue but I know it wasn't used for happy things.

I turn my head as the sound of the door opening reaches my ears. In walks the last person I expected to see; the Emperor himself followed closely by Vader.

"Welcome, young Skywalker," the Emperor says, "I have eagerly awaited your arrival."

I stay silent as I don't want to end up getting hurt for upsetting the Emperor.

 **Leia POV**

Luke's been missing for two weeks now. The only person who could have any clues to his whereabouts is banned from his own city. Our only chance of finding the self-proclaimed Jedi is if he contacts us first.

 _Month 1_

 **Luke POV**

"That can't be true! It's impossible!"

How can he be my father! It's absurd! He's in that suit all the time, how could he have possibly done the deed that made me? And even if he is, why is he treating me like this?

"Search your feelings. You know it to be true," Vader tries to convince me.

What am I even supposed to do with this information?

Vader summons another droid to my side. The droid extends an arm and excruciating pain rockets through my body as thousands of volts are pumped into my leg. The pain stops and Vader again demands me to join him. He stalks out of the cell when I don't respond.

I've been stuck in this cell for almost a month now. The Emperor and Vader (Father, my mind corrects) want me to join their ranks. While I do want to pain to end, I also don't want to betray the Rebellion. They probably think I'm dead by now.

Wait, what if I accept their offer, and find ways to contact the Rebellion? I could give them secrets, troop movements, codes, and Imperial plans. I heard from Ben that it was not unheard of for a Jedi to go undercover. I could do the same for the Rebellion.

Yeah. Yeah, I can do that. I can spy for the Rebellion.


	2. The Announcement

**I own nothing but my OCs.**

The Announcement

 _Month 1.5_

 **Leia POV**

It's been six weeks since Luke went missing. I just heard that the Emperor and Darth Vader have a major announcement in two weeks. I fear what the two have to say. I wish Luke were here. He is a balm to my often fraying nerves. Unfortunately, I must live in suspense for now. Force please let these two weeks pass quickly.

* * *

 _Month 2_

The two week wait is up. Time to learn what the big news is.

Everyone is watching broadcast. Looks like the announcement is being made from the Imperial palace on Coruscant. Thousands are gathered in the stands below the balcony. The Emperor walks out with Vader following.

"Citizens of the Empire, today is a glorious day! Today I announce the heir to the throne, your Prince!"

Cheers erupt from the stands. I look nervously to the others in the room. The same look is on everyone's face; who will this new tyrant be?

The Emperor continues, "So it is with great pleasure that I present my heir. The son of Darth Vader and Prince of the Empire: Luke Skywalker!"

Deafening cheers sound from the audience as Luke walks out onto the balcony. He looks every bit the Imperial Prince with shined black boots, dark trousers, a black shirt, and a black cape that almost hits the floor. He smiles to the crowd as chaos ensues among the rebels.

"How could he!"

"The son of Darth Vader!?"

"Why didn't he tell us?!"

Leia is in shock. She stands there watching the feed when an odd movement catches her eye.

"Everyone! Luke's using hand signals!"

Everyone in the room quiets down and watches the new prince. Sure enough, Luke's hands moved.

"Someone, quick! Write down what he's saying!" Leia shouts.

Mon Mothma grabs a pen and paper and quickly writes down the meaning of Luke's gestures. The Emperor makes a few more statements before ending the broadcast. He re-enters the building with Luke and Vader in tow. Mon Mothma sets down her and reads what she has:

"Leia, I am ok. No, I did not know about Vader until after my capture. I am still loyal to the Rebellion and will find a way to contact you soon. I will explain myself more thoroughly then. I would suggest changing the codes, however. I had to prove my allegiance and that was what the Emperor and father asked for."

Everyone in the room breathes a sigh of relief. Luke is still on their side.

"Send this message to everyone in the Alliance," I say, "I want everyone to know that Luke is _not_ a traitor."

"Yes ma'am."


	3. Contact

**Yay, a normal length chapter! In all seriousness though, I am very happy to have this chapter finished and posted. I actually managed to have a chapter out on time (in my head at least). I also do have a plan for this story, so I do know how it's going to end and how we're going to get there. This will be about 14 chapters in length, spanning the year between _Empire_ and _Return_. I will say before the chapter starts how many months it has been since Luke was captured in Bespin. You've probably already noticed the Month (number) things just after the chapter title. That's the format I'm using to count how long it's been since Bespin. There are four weeks in a month so Month 3.5 means it has been three and a half months since Bespin. .25 equals one week and .75 equals three weeks.**

 **I know I need to update _Direct_ , I really do. That story is just harder to write. I have to watch the corresponding cutscenes repeatedly to make sure the actions, dialogue, and characters are correct for the scene. Otherwise it's just a huge mess. Not having something that has to be _that_ strictly followed makes writing and updating much easier.**

 **I do not own _Star Wars_ , only OCs that I may add.**

Contact

 _Month 2.25_

Luke POV

I'm having a great time being Prince of the Empire. Not. There are so many rules and regulations I have to follow for everything. My tutors taught me all of them during the two weeks, but I still do not understand the reasons for all of them.

I am also being subjected to a whirlwind tour of the galaxy. Apparently, I have to meet everyone who is anyone in the Empire. Why I have to go to each VIP's planet, I don't know. It's only been a week and I already want to crawl in a hole and hide. I've also been on this star destroyer the entire week. How Leia did this, I have no clue. There is only so much time a person can spend on a ship before succumbing to cabin fever.

I'm also trying to figure out if father is watching me. Well, of course he's watching me. He probably wants to make sure I'm adjusting well. No, I'm working on finding the limits to my freedom. I know my room on Coruscant isn't bugged; I completely swept it during the two weeks between my agreement and announcement.

I can imagine the Rebels' reactions to learning my true identity. It must have been chaos for days. I'm planning on contacting them soon, though. I return to Coruscant in two days, so I'll probably do it then.

At this moment, father and I are standing on the bridge. We're watching the stars go by while our star destroyer heads to the next planet at light speed. My cabin fever must be getting to me as I can't seem to stop fixing my clothes and adjusting my stance.

"Son, stop fidgeting," father orders me.

I look up to him and say, "Sorry, father. Cabin fever must be affecting me."

He stares straight ahead. For a moment I thought he didn't hear me, but then he looks over.

"Then I would suggest you go to your room and rest. Do not think I do not notice how exhausted you are by this journey. We have another three hours before arrival. Go."

"Thank you, father." I give a slight bow my head before heading to my room.

Three hours. I have three hours before arrival. Perfect.

I enter the small room and pull out a comm. I swept the room for bugs at the beginning of the trip; absolutely nothing. Father and the Emperor must truly trust me. I feel bad for breaking it. However, I pledged my loyalty to the Rebellion and they need as much help as they can get.

I turn on my comm and wait for Leia to respond. I only need to wait a few moments before her hologram appears.

Leia POV

"Princess, we have a transmission coming in!"

"Where is it coming from?"

"On the route between Naboo and Malastare."

"Put it through."

Finally, Luke's making contact. We last saw him on Naboo after he greeted those on Mon Calamari. I'd like to say I have been waiting patiently for his transmission, but my limits are reached relatively quickly. I look up as his hologram appears before me.

"Make sure everyone in the Rebellion can hear us," I tell the technician.

"Yes ma'am," the technician responds.

"Hello Luke. Or should I call you 'Your Highness'?"

He chuckles sarcastically, "Very funny."

"Anyway, are you ok? We can see that Vader is taking you around the entire galaxy."

"I'm tired. How did you do this all the time?"

"I was raised to. Just breathe, smile, and you'll make it."

"I think I can do that."

"Good. Now, you said during the announcement that you're going to explain some things?"

"Right. I guess I should start from the beginning. Cloud City. I was suspicious thanks to your warning, but I still sprang the trap. Father and I fought, which ended with me in carbonite. What happened between then and my waking up in the prison cell, I do not know. I was in that cell for about a month. I-"

"Wait," I interrupt, "You're saying that you were imprisoned for a month. Then how were you perfectly fine on stage?"

"There were two weeks between word got out and the actual announcement, right?"

I nod.

"Well, that was actually by design of the Emperor. He and father wanted to make sure I was ready, and looked right, for the announcement."

"'Looked right'?"

"I was fairly pale, thin, and had a couple cuts and bruises when I agreed. I basically needed time to recover."

"Ah, thank you for clarifying. Please, continue."

Luke smiles, "Anyway, father told me of our relationship near the end of that month. I refused to believe him at first. I thought it was just another ploy to get me on their side. I still don't know for sure and I don't want to ruin the trust father and the Emperor have given me. I'm already risking it with what I'm considering."

"And what are you considering?"

"Well, with my status, I have access to basically everything the Empire has. Codes, troop movements, project updates, supplies, everything. All of which I can pass on to you. Discreetly, of course."

"Are you saying that you want to spy for the Rebellion?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

I hum critically at the idea. Do I accept or do I refuse...

"I do have one question, though," Luke interrupts.

My head snaps up to look at him, "Yes?"

"What happened to Han? I know he was with you, but I didn't see him anywhere."

I look down and sigh, "Before you arrived, Vader decided to test the carbonite chamber. Han is now with Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine."

Luke's eyes widen at the information. I don't think I've ever seen him so nervous before. Jabba must really be a horrible being if he makes Luke nervous.

I decide to press on, "Lead members of the Rebellion, what what is your opinion on Luke's proposal? Do we accept or reject?"

They all look at each other; seemingly sharing the same thought. Then, in one voice, all members say, "Accept."

Luke breathed a visible sigh of relief. "Then the first thing I am going to do is see if I can secretly free Han. It's not guaranteed, however. I don't know how much freedom I have yet. It could be months before I can do anything."

"Just provide the intel we ask," General Ackbar says, "That's all we need worry about now."

Prince Luke, Lord Vader requests your presence on the bridge.

Luke sighs, "I need to go. I think it best to communicate by text instead of recording to avoid the chance of being overheard. Leave messages on this frequency with whatever intel you need."

"Will do Luke. May the Force be with you."

"And may the Force be with you as well, Leia."


	4. You Want Me to WHAT?

**Hello! 4th chapter of** ** _The Prince_** **! I was trying for a little funnier bit, but I don't think I executed that very well. I don't know. You'll have to tell me**

 **Anyway, we get some father/son bonding this chapter. I'm so happy that I'm building trust between the two this early on. I hope this trust will lend to some more sweet moments for them. Luke always was more accepting of Vader. This trust'll just make chapters 6 and 9 better. And no, I'm not going to spoil what happens. I'm itching to get to work on them though.**

 **I am introducing an OC this chapter: Jason. I imagine him to look like Hux from** ** _The Force Awakens_** **, just with blue eyes. Maybe he's Hux's father? Jason would be the right age...**

 **Enjoy! I do not own Star Wars, just my OC.**

"You Want Me To WHAT?"

 _Month 3.5_

 **Luke POV**

"You can't be serious," I deadpan. This is not what I expected when called to the Emperor's office. Attend a meeting with officials or greet a guest, sure. I'll do those no problem. This, however, is ridiculous. Most ridiculous.

"You need an heir. Heirs are children and children only come from wives," the Emperor explains.

"I understand that," I counter, "However, if and when I do marry, I would like it to be on my own terms. I don't need you to arrange it."

The Emperor looks at me with a critical eye. He's probably trying to decide whether I'm attempting insubordination or just being stubborn. I decide to say something I believe will satisfy him for the moment:

"I'll think about it."

That seems to work as the next thing he says is; "Very well. You may leave."

I'm relieved at his words. I never liked being in his presence. His dark aura permeates every part of the room, contrasting heavily with my blinding light. At least the feeling seems to be mutual. The Emperor doesn't really seem at ease when we're in the same room, either.

I'm glad father is out reviewing various projects' progress and NOT in the room with the Emperor and I. The Emperor probably would have asked his opinion and they may have tag-teamed to convince me. Maybe I could speak with father. I might be able to show him my point of view and he can talk the Emperor out of this. I should probably inform the Alliance of my pending marriage as well. Pending marriage. I never thought I would have to deal with this.

I'm so deep in thought that when I enter my room, I don't notice Jason standing there until I almost run into him. Jason is nice enough, though I wouldn't exactly call him my friend. He's my right hand and makes sure anything and everything to do with me is in perfect order. I'm thankful that father gave me Jason. I would most likely end up a complete mess if he wasn't here. We're nearly the same height and has relatively short, reddish hair. He has blue eyes, pale skin, and an average build. I heard he graduated with honors from a top Imperial university, so his utter calm through everything is not surprising. I can tell, though, that some of my antics do annoy him.

"Jason! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

"No matter, Your Highness," He says professionally, "May I ask what the Emperor wanted to speak with you about?"

I sigh, sitting down on a window seat. "He wants me to marry," I say in an annoyed tone.

Jason does not look surprised. Was he expecting this? "Should I start making preparations?" He says in what sounds like a happy tone.

Yep, he expected it. I look out the window. "No. I told the Emperor I would think on the notion. I will say whether or not to prepare when my decision is made."

"Of course, sir," Jason says, his tone subdued.

"Is there anything on my schedule yet today?"

He pulls out a datapad and looks it over, "Nothing, Your Highness."

I look over to the clock. It's mid-afternoon. I could write my message to the Alliance and have it sent before dinner. I consider the idea for a minute. Jason is just standing there, seemingly eagerly awaiting for my next orders. His enthusiasm to obey irritates me sometimes. How can he like this tyrannical Empire so much? Right, he's been given an incredibly important role as well as a position of power. Being the closest aid to Vader's son and Prince of the Empire would have its perks. I stay in my spot a moment longer before sharing my next wish:

"Go and only come to inform me when dinner is ready. I am not to be disturbed."

"As you wish, my Prince."

 **Leia POV**

If I am to be completely honest with myself, I should have expected something like this to happen. But no, Luke's message comes as a surprise. At least he bought some time before anything permanent could be arranged. I never really imagined Luke ever getting married.

I also can't help but laugh at his anxious tone in the message. He must have gone as red as the Emperor's guard's uniforms when the order was given. I mentally laugh at the image that creates.

 **Vader POV**

I am surprised by the sudden transmission from Luke. The reason he's contacting, not so much.

"Father, please, you have to help me. I don't want to be forced into this," Luke pleads.

I'm thankful that this a private line. I don't want anyone to know of his panic. He's nearly hysterical.

"Luke, calm down," I attempt to soothe my panicking son, "I agree with you."

Luke gives a look of surprise. "You do?"

"Yes. I do not want you forced into this either. Marriage is not a matter that can be taken lightly. Your mother and I were quite nervous when we married. Though, the marriage was forbidden at the time so we needed to be careful. Sadly, I am not surprised the Emperor asked this of you. I must ask though, has the Emperor selected a bride?"

"No, thank the Force. But he was looking at some young ladies' profiles when I came in."

"Ok, that means there is time before anything irreversible happens."

"I also told him I would think about it. I don't how much time that has bought me, but it should at least help."

"The Emperor usually give people about a week to think." I pause for a moment. If I can do it right…

"I can be back on Coruscant in three days."

Luke's head snaps to look at me, shock on his face. "How?! You're supposed to be in the Outer Rim for another week at least!"

"I will make it. No one should be alone when faced with something like this. My only desire is your happiness and I will do what I can to ensure it."

I see Luke visibly relax. "Thank you, father. I look forward to your return."

"As do I."

The transmission cuts off.

 **Luke POV**

It's been three days since I spoke with father. I heard he was back, but I haven't seen him. I hope he's speaking with the Emperor. I seriously do not want to be married so soon. The sound of my door opening ends my train of thought. To my joy, father is the one entering.

"Father," I say, relieved, "Have you spoken with the Emperor yet? What did he say?" I stand up while asking my questions.

Father holds up his hands in an obvious attempt to keep me calm. "Slow down, breathe," He says before answering, "Yes, I have spoken to the Emperor."

"And?" I say impatiently.

"And I, surprisingly, made him see reason. He has decided at least postpone any thoughts of marriage. He said that you may choose the bride and when you marry, but he still wants it to happen."

I nearly faint from relief. My eyes close and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. No marriage. At least not yet. Thank the Force! And father…

"Thank you, father. You don't know what a relief it is to hear you say that."

"You are most welcome, my son. Now, since I am here earlier than expected, I have some extra time on my hands."

I smile. "I know just what we can do."


End file.
